Are You Building a Park, or Something?

Tom was working on the lot today and a guy stopped by and asked the question that titles this blog. The answer is: No. And yes.

We will eventually build a house here. It would be nice to break ground in 2008, but we're letting the schedule take shape organically.

We are building a park - our own beautiful space and a space to share with neighbors, affectionately called "Luciferous Terra" - a place on earth providing light or mental insight.

What we are doing now is getting to know the property. We are letting it talk to us. Letting it show us what it wants, how it greets the sun and rain, how it moves in the seasons. We are becoming familiar with each other (the lot and us) so that it will be happy and willing to receive us. We're planting things and making it beautiful, letting it know it's cared for.

Tough Love

Several plants at the lot have been given tough love. Basically, they've not been watered since T put them in. I'm surprised at how well they've done, especially given the extremely DRY late summer and fall that we had. The red Texas sage looks particularly fine.

Queen Victoria and Small Houses

"Things taste better in small houses."
-- Queen Victoria

Absolutely, we agree!!!

Over the Hump!

The big hump in the middle of the property is gone! T spent yesterday working to remove it, bucket by bucket by bucket. My fantasies of finding great archaeological treasures are gone, but he did find several marbles!

Green Flooring Options

There's a great article in the current edition (Sept) of Living Green magazine about green flooring options.

Update and Geothermal Heat

Wow - it's been far too long since I made a post! It's been a busy past month of travel (personal and for work). We're still in the considering phase of the house building. We're constantly looking at house plan books and home magazines.

One of our good friends (and champion of the planet) sent us this excellent explanatory video on how geothermal heat works. Enjoy.

84-Sq-Foot House

A friend sent me this video. Incredible! This woman lives in an 84-square-foot house. She limits herself to 300 things. I am impressed!

Here's the video link. Warning: You may need a Yahoo account.

Tom and I don't have a house quite that small in mind, but we are looking to build something that maximizes the use of inside space so that we can keep the total footprint small.

Grilled Cheese

Yard art made of wood, limestone, and steel. All found/rescued materials. Artist: Tom

He calls this Grilled Cheese. Why? Why not!

Yard in Organic Garden Tour

Our current yard is going to be in the Organic Gardening Association's tour this Saturday, June 30th. Our house, plus another on our street, will be featured among several others. Come to visit us! I can take very little credit for the garden - it's all Tom's work. He tends it and my job is to love and admire it. ;-)

To join the tour, meet ab B-foods East around 8:30 am. The tour is from 9 - 3.

Here are a few photos for those who can't make it in person.

What's the rock for?

In alignment with one of our guiding principles, to build an earth-friendly home, we strive to use salvaged materials as much as possible. One example is the salvaged concrete chunks that we (well, Tom) rescued from an apartment complex in town that is being rehabbed. These limestone-looking chunks are being used as borders to terrace the slope in the north end of the lot.

Guiding Principles

Our guiding principles are to build a home that is:

• Earth-friendly
• Within our budget
• A place of beauty, peace, fun and mental insight

The Lot

Photos from January, 2007 - just after we had closed on the lot.

Our street

Standing in the road, facing the lot

Standing in the back of the lot. The big building in the end of the photo was constructed by the WPA in 1938.

Concrete blocks that might have been footings from the original porch. There was a house and a stable on the property originally.

Luciferous What?!!?

Luciferous Terra is what we've named our little piece of land on which we'll build our home.

Luciferous - Providing light or mental insight

Terra - Earth

Luciferous Terra - A place on earth providing light or mental insight

We like to think that our home and gardens will be such a place for us, and for all those that visit.